Top 20 Annoying Kid Characters in Movies
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Annoying Kid Characters in Movies. For this list, we’ll be looking at the big-screen child characters that most got under our skin. Some of these may be annoying on purpose, while others definitely aren’t. We’ll also be omitting teenagers, since that could be a list of its own. Since some of these brats get their comeuppance, a spoiler alert is in effect. Which of these characters made you plug your ears? Scream and shout about it in the comments!
#20: Boba Fett
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“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” (2002)
Boba Fett was one of the coolest characters in the original trilogy - at least up until his incident with the sarlacc. But when we learn in the prequel, “Attack of the Clones,” that the titular army are copies of bounty hunter Jango Fett, there’s some hope for his clone son still. Instead, the version of young Boba we get is something of a sniveling brat with a bad haircut. He props up his clone daddy to an incessant degree, making us wish Obi-Wan would end the conflict even sooner. When Jango is ultimately beheaded by Mace Windu, we don’t exactly feel for Boba, even if we’re supposed to.
#19: Jacob Benson
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“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008)
Jaden Smith definitely gave audiences more than one aggravating character in his career as a child actor. And as long as we’re staying away from the teenaged Kitai in “After Earth,” it’s this sci-fi dud that most qualifies for this list. The 2008 remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is dull enough as it is. Smith’s character Jacob is largely meant to counterbalance the adults with his smart aleck tendencies and genuine insights. However, something about the presentation irks us the wrong way. Jacob is constantly making things difficult for those around him, and we can’t help but feel the film would’ve benefitted from his absence.
#18: The Cousins
Top 10 Annoying Kid Characters in Movies
“Krampus” (2015)
And you thought your family around the holidays was a nightmare. As opposed to our first two entries, this cult horror comedy wouldn’t really work if the visiting relatives weren’t an absolute pain. While Linda and Howard are pieces of work themselves, their kids are even more so, proving annoyance is hereditary. Howie Jr. is a dead-eyed dolt, whereas Stevie and Jordan are a couple of jerks, taking to tormenting their cousin Max when all he wants for Christmas is for his family to be happy. Part of the fun is watching all the characters meet weirdly horrific demises, and for once the kids are no different. Their ultimate purgatory-esque fate is fitting, seeing as they all deserve each other.
#17: Alec & Oleg Karpov
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“2012” (2009)
Roland Emmerich’s “2012” is over the top even by disaster movie standards, and that definitely extends to the characters. As the world practically falls apart, limo driver Jackson scrambles to get his family to safety. Thankfully, he ferries around Russian billionaire Yuri, which gives him many means of escape. But it also means his family has to deal with Yuri’s twin boys, Alec and Oleg. The kids are the epitome of privilege, and they’re not hesitant to flaunt it. Sure, the end of the world brings them down a peg or two, but we can’t help but wish Yuri wasn’t successful in getting them on the ark.
#16: The Baker Kids
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“Cheaper by the Dozen” franchise (1950-)
This franchise dates as far back as 1950, and has seen multiple remakes over the years. But for the purposes of this list, we prefer to focus on the family featured in the Steve Martin movies from the mid-2000s. The fact that Tom and Kate’s twelve - count ‘em - twelve children are a hassle is kind of the point. So we can’t help but shudder when we see the household in complete chaos. Sure, some of the kids are teens or young adults. But that doesn’t help quell the sheer insanity of the younger Baker siblings. Well, at least they didn’t make it a baker’s dozen.
#15: Dennis Mitchell
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“Dennis the Menace” (1993)
Whether it be the comics strip, TV show, or movies, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Dennis is a… well, menace. After all, it is right there in the title. While the ‘93 film far from eclipsed the show from the ‘50s, it definitely conveyed the notion that Dennis is supposed to be an annoying little twerp. He’s constantly vexing those around him, particularly his neighbor George. And considering the poor critical reception to the film, we think we can add ourselves to that list. Boys will be boys, and Dennis will certainly be Dennis.
#14: Gray & Zach Mitchell
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“Jurassic World” (2015)
Even on an island filled with dinosaurs, boys will be boys. Their parents force the two brothers to go on a trip to Jurassic World with the hope that they'll form a bond. It works, but at what cost to the viewers? Zach is your stereotypical teenage boy, who is only interested in girls, and spends most of his time trying to pretend that little brother Gray does not exist, before the Indominus Rex teaches him the importance of family. Gray, the less offensive of the brothers, is just a little too enthusiastic. To their credit, the brothers do improve as “Jurassic World” progresses, but the first half is a grind.
#13: Danny Madigan
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“Last Action Hero” (1993)
“Last Action Hero” has definitely garnered a cult following over the years, a lot of which can be attributed to its crackerjack setup of a kid being sucked into an action movie. But if there’s a downside to its meta slant, it’s the child protagonist, Danny Madigan. Sure, if we were in his shoes, we too would be jazzed to be interacting with our favorite fictional characters. But his movie-savvy dialogue often makes him come across as a know-it-all. He’s definitely smart and spot-on about many of his observations, but sometimes we wish they came in a slightly less annoying package.
#12: Danny
“Zathura” (2005)
From one Danny to another. This forgotten spinoff of the “Jumanji” movies centers on two brothers being flung into a wild space adventure at the hands of a mysterious board game. They’re constantly at odds with each other, and while Walter is definitely the jerk of the two, we can definitely see why he’s so short with his little bro. While Danny is certainly nice and considerate, he’s also incredibly whiny and needy. Not only that, but he’s consistently making poor decisions without consulting with the group first, putting everyone in even more peril. Honestly, we can see why Walter would be tempted to wish him out of existence.
#11: Alex O’Connell
“The Mummy Returns” (2001)
Who doesn't love a know-it-all kid? Alex O’Connell is the son of Evelyn and Rick, the couple at the center of the “Mummy” franchise. The young rascal inherited his mother’s love for history and his father’s sense of adventuring, a combination that proves to be anything but a blessing. While Alex is definitely intelligent, he is painstakingly aware of that fact, and tries his darndest to ensure that everyone knows it. Obnoxious to a fault, Alex is also a magnet for trouble, forcing his parents to constantly come to his rescue.
#10: Amanda Lemmon & Alyssa Callaway
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“It Takes Two” (1995)
For better or worse, the Olsen twins are synonymous with the ‘90s. While Mary-Kate and Ashley have decent comedic timing, their ticket to fame stemmed from their biological similarities, and an ability to say things in tandem. “It Takes Two” is not the worst comedy, but after a while, the humor of seeing the Olsen twins switch roles becomes an exercise in diminishing returns - before falling flat altogether. Amanda and Alyssa are depicted as being wise beyond their years, as they effortlessly manipulate the painfully brain-dead adults who somehow exist in this world.
#9: Cid
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“Looper” (2012)
“Looper” is a stellar sci-fi flick with thoughtful, unique time travel mechanics. In the future, a figure known as the Rainmaker is set to usurp major crime syndicates and cause even more misery in the process. The version of the protagonist from that future looks to prevent the Rainmaker’s existence by killing him in the past. It’s ultimately revealed that a young telekinetic named Cid is destined to become the vengeful warlord, and already he’s not on the best track. We know we’re supposed to care for Cid’s safety, but his tempestuous attitude and disregard for those around him makes it difficult. He’s ultimately spared the traumatic, watershed moment, but we can’t help but feel he’ll still grow up to be a pain.
#8: Isaac Chroner
“Children of the Corn (1984)
This one’s a little different in that the child in question wasn’t played by one. Indeed, actor John Franklin’s growth hormone deficiency allowed him to convincingly play the young antagonist Isaac Chroner despite being twenty-four at the time. But since Franklin completely owns the role, we honestly couldn’t see anyone else in his stead. Isaac is by all accounts a cruel and vindictive despot, manipulating his cult of children with malice. And if there’s anything this shaky Stephen King adaptation gets right, it’s his characterization. Franklin hits all the right notes in his various diatribes. And by the time he’s begging not to be given his just desserts, we’re filled with nothing but glee.
#7: Eustace Scrubb
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” (2010)
This is generally considered to be the worst of the “Narnia” trilogy. But there is one thing we should be thanking it for, and that’s for giving us Will Poulter. In this threequel, a young Poulter plays Eustace Scrubb, cousin to the Pevensie siblings, who ends up transported to Narnia alongside Edmund and Lucy. Eustace is by all means an off-putting and disagreeable kid, as he was similarly written in C. S. Lewis’s book. Poulter captures this excellently in the “Dawn Treader” adaptation, making us cringe at the mere sight of Eustace. While his adventures ground him and bring him closer to his family, it was definitely touch and go for a minute there.
#6: Samuel Vanek
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“The Babadook” (2014)
Credit where credit is due, Noah Wiseman did a fantastic job as Amelia Vanek’s troublesome son. Samuel is unpredictable, going on multiple screaming fits throughout “The Babadook.” At one point, the eccentric boy causes a car accident that very well could have killed both him and his mother. Amelia is still grieving over her husband’s recent death, and Sam’s erratic behavior makes a bad situation a hundred times worse. Granted, there’s a lot of nuance to the characterization that leaves some things to interpretation. Again, we’ve got to applaud the performance that Wiseman delivered, but it was draining one to watch.
#5: Junior Healy & Trixie Young
“Problem Child” franchise (1990-)
“Problem Child 2” exists to remind audiences that it can always get worse. Junior Healy is the original problem child, a kid so terrifying that he had to dress up as the devil for Halloween, as anything else would have made for a significant improvement. Yet somehow the sequel doubled up on the annoyance, focusing an attempt by Junior Healy and Trixie Young to out “evil” each other. These brats are loud, obnoxious, and borderline psychotic; their default reaction to most obstacles is seemingly to throw a firecracker and hope for the best - or rather, worst.
#4: Draco Malfoy
“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
Spiteful beyond belief, this arrogant wizard is the poster child for modern jerks. Acted to perfection by Tom Felton, Draco Malfoy was born into an admittedly intense world, but that hardly excuses his egotistical behavior. Hailing from a pure-blood family, Draco never missed an opportunity to put down the rest of the students, with Hermione offering an easy target due to her muggle-born heritage, and Harry, due to his orphaned savior status. After six movies of his narcissistic and snobbish personality, the extremely punchable Malfoy finally starts to see the errors of his ways. Dudley Dursley gives him a run for his money, but there is just so much more of Draco to hate.
#3: Rachel Ferrier
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“War of the Worlds” (2005)
Between this little girl and her older brother Robbie, “War of the Worlds” served as a fantastic cautionary tale highlighting the benefits of safe sex. Dakota Fanning is a charming actress, but nobody could have saved this character from herself. Rachel’s defining personality trait is her ability to loudly scream for an absurdly long time, something that gets old almost immediately. When not trying to make our ears bleed, this young girl proves to be somewhat of a know-it-all, talking more like an adult than a child. She’s got two settings, and it’s hard to say which is worse.
#2: Anakin Skywalker
“Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace” (1999)
Poor Jake Lloyd... his movie career could not have gotten off to a worse start. The prequel trilogy established how Anakin Skywalker turned into Darth Vader, a process that proved far more annoying than anyone could have expected. Apparently, one of the most feared characters of all time started as a whiny and insufferable little kid who loved to say the word “Yippee!” While Lloyd hardly turns in an Oscar-worthy performance, and the character arguably gets worse in the sequels, Anakin feels like the world’s most annoying little brother in “The Phantom Menace.” Child prodigy characters are hard to pull off successfully, and sadly, high midichlorian count be damned, Anakin didn’t make the grade.
#1: Veruca Salt
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971) & “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory” (2005)
This spoiled girl turned annoying into an art form. With the exception of the angelic Charlie, the golden ticket winners are all rather awful. The worst of the bunch, however, is Veruca Salt, a girl who desperately needs someone to tell her “no.” The personification of greed, Veruca genuinely believes that she deserves the world on a plate. If this arrogant child asks for anything, she not only expects to get it but that she'll be pushed to the front of the line. Thankfully, much like the viewers, Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas were not impressed, and gave the little girl and her father a lesson in appropriate behavior and parenting.
